DPHI Aboriginal Procurement Awareness Program

Overview

Tika EQ partnered with the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC) to co-design and deliver a series of Aboriginal procurement awareness sessions for the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI).

The program strengthened cultural capability and built practical understanding of how to embed Aboriginal participation across DPHI’s procurement and contracting activities. It also helped staff connect the intent of the NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy (APP) and Aboriginal Participation Strategy (APS) to their day-to-day roles, ensuring Aboriginal inclusion was seen as both a compliance requirement and a key lever for social and economic impact.

Our Role and Approach

Working alongside NSWICC, Tika EQ developed and facilitated a series of whole-of-department awareness sessions designed to deepen understanding, align policy, and build confidence across DPHI’s procurement and project delivery functions.

Our approach included:

• Program Design and Delivery – Delivering a cohesive series of awareness sessions across DPHI, combining cultural context, policy interpretation, and practical application.
• Policy and Practice Alignment – Linking DPHI’s Aboriginal Participation Strategy (APS) and Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy (AOS) to the broader NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy, Procurement Policy Framework, and NSW Roadmap for Aboriginal Business Growth.
• Tools and Templates – Introducing staff to Aboriginal vendor directories, participation plan templates, and the 'Buying on Country' e-learning module, to support consistent and measurable procurement outcomes.
• Cultural and Economic Insights – Facilitated by Luke McIlroy-Ranga (Tika EQ) and Deb Barwick (NSWICC), the sessions combined government policy expertise with real-world examples of Aboriginal business engagement and capability building.
• Supplier Engagement Continuation – Following each departmental training session, NSWICC led dedicated supplier capability and networking events in the same regional locations, connecting Aboriginal businesses directly with departmental representatives to discuss upcoming procurement opportunities and strengthen supplier readiness.

Key Outcomes

This partnership created a coordinated and practical learning journey for DPHI staff and Aboriginal businesses:

• Increased awareness and understanding of Aboriginal procurement obligations and how to apply them across varying contract values and business areas.
• Improved internal confidence among procurement officers, project managers, and executives in implementing Aboriginal participation plans.
• Direct supplier engagement opportunities, with NSWICC’s networking sessions creating meaningful connections between DPHI teams and verified Aboriginal businesses.
• A clear, whole-of-department framework for aligning procurement with Aboriginal participation, consistent with NSW Government’s Closing the Gap and Priority Reform 5 commitments.

Legacy and Impact

The Aboriginal Procurement and Participation Awareness program has created lasting capability within DPHI, establishing a model of partnership-driven education that brings both policy and community outcomes together.

Through this collaboration, Tika EQ and NSWICC have helped DPHI move beyond compliance to embed authentic Aboriginal participation and supplier diversity as core components of the department’s operational and cultural transformation.

The inclusion of supplier capability and networking sessions ensured the program didn’t end at awareness, it created direct pathways for Aboriginal businesses to participate in government procurement, reinforcing the broader goal of economic self-determination through connection, capacity, and collaboration.

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